Bene nods. When the inevitable question arises, he sighs deeply through his nose, letting his eyes close for a moment.

"I did something stupid," he murmurs, "...and got in trouble for it." It never gets any easier, explaining this: not only because he regrets making certain decisions, but because he has to re-humiliate himself every time by bringing to an unsuspecting mind the image of who he was and what he did.

The fact that it hasn't ruined any relationships yet is, likely, only a testament to how low he already is in most people's esteem.